The Hero's Retribution
by TriforceP
Summary: When Link, the Hero of Time returns to Hyrule after seven years of self-discovery, he believes that the worst is behind him... but he has no idea that his biggest challenge has yet to come.
1. Chapter 1

_Hey everybody! This is my first fanfic, so tell me what you think. Just so you know, all characters listed below, as well as most happenings mentioned, belong to Nintendo. Little old me has no connection to them (sadly). So... there you go! See you next time, and good reading!_

_Edit: Added character list and backstories, hopefully on all chapters!_

* * *

Link rode quickly, Epona galloping faster than she had in months. He felt the wind in his face and took in the scents of the forest. He smiled when he heard the familiar music playing through the trees. This particular tune had always given him a sense of happiness him and everyone else. He knew where it was coming from, and how that was the only place to go. Slowing down to a walk, he stopped Epona and, after promising to be back soon, began the climb up to the temple.

Now, this temple was old and decrepit, and hardly, if ever, used for worship. It was nothing but ruins and, for the first nineteen years of his life, he didn't even know what it was. All he knew was that this was a place he could come to escape the ridicule of the others. A place of safety...

It was also her place.

As his head leveled with the top steps, he peered out into the clearing ahead. The stump was still there, and the temple as old as ever. It all seemed so familiar... yet it, for the first time, didn't seem like home. As he looked around, he was hit with a sudden force that knocked him off his feet. What was it? A deku nut? A tektite? He reached for his sword.

"You're back!" Saria cried, tears at the corners of her eyes.

Link relaxed. He knew she was no danger, "Yes, Saria," he told her, "I am back. It's nice to see you too," they both laughed a little.

"Where have you been these last seven years, Link?" she asked curiously. He smiled, standing up, then helped her up. She was as excited as ever, and hadn't aged a day - quite literally. She never aged. Unlike him, of course... but that was another matter altogether.

"I've been... busy," he told her, thinking back to the last seven years. He looked at her, "I'd tell you now, but it's getting late. We both know that we should be getting back to the village."

She nodded. The woods were dangerous at night, and, while Link could protect himself, he didn't want Saria to get into any danger. The pair grabbed Epona before taking the short trip back to the village. It was odd... it took longer to get there than it did to get back. Nobody knew exactly why. It had just always been that way.

They got back to the village late, and some of the child-like Kokiri were in bed. Most of them liked him, some even idolized him. All of them, except...

"You!" cried a voice from across the river. A short, authoritative Kokiri was the source of the voice. He looked to be maybe 13, but had already lived longer than Link would live to be. Mido took charge of the village, and he liked order... and disliked Link. Even when he thought Link a Kokiri, he still hated Link. He swaggered to a stop in front of him, "So, you've come crawling back here?"

"Buzz off, Mido," Link warned, "There's no reason to get into all of this again."

"Buzz off, Mido," he mimicked, "Oh, you think you're so high and mighty, don't you? Just because you APPARENTLY traveled through time and saved the kingdom means that you can just waltz in here and..."

Link was already gone, walking right past him, "Don't worry about it, Mido. I'm not trying to take charge or anything- it's not worth it," he didn't even bother looking back... he knew that the Kokiri would be cursing him out and calling him a coward already.

Saria followed him, asking, "Do you want to come over to my place for a bit?"

Link nodded, "I might as well."

Saria's jaw was on the floor. Over the past few hours Link had told her about the many things that he'd done over the last few years. The monsters he'd fought, the destruction he'd seen, and the evil he'd faced- all while trying to find some peace, "How could you go through that?"

Link sighed, "I don't know. Eventually I just stopped feeling the pain. Do you know what that's like, Saria? Unable to feel pain or fear... barely able to feel happy," he sighed, "That's when I knew I needed to come home."

Saria shook her head, a tear falling from her cheek. Link knew that she'd always been very emotional, but knew also that she, as his closest and only childhood friend, had to know. Link hugged her, "It's all over now, though. I'm back in Hyrule for good."

She kept crying and Link patted her back. She cleared up a bit and they just sat there for a little while. He looked at her, then said, "I think I should go now."

"Are you sure?" she asked, concerned.

"I'm sure," he said, "I'm the Hero of Time. After all that, what else can be done to me here in the Village?"

* * *

_Link: The Hero of Time was raised as one of the immortal Kokiri, but, when he failed to stop the death of the Great Deku Tree, left to warn the land of Hyrule of the impending evil. Put the rest of Ocarina of Time in here. After Zelda sent him back to "regain his childhood", Link found this almost impossible. After seeing the once bright and cheery city of Castle Town become zombie-infested ruins, and seeing the destruction wrought by Ganondorf, he decided to leave in an attempt to find the one soul on the planet that could understand him... the fairy, Navi. He searched for seven years, traveling to many lands (including Termina). He never did find Navi. Giving up, he went home in an attempt to start up a normal life among those he knew as friends.  
_

_Saria: The Sage of the Forest is a member of the Kokiri race and was, for many years, Link's best friend. She was sad to see him go, but knew that he had to. With Link back now, she wants only for him to be happy, but, the way things are going, that isn't going to happen._

_Mido: The unofficial leader of the Kokiri, Mido has always been a hot-headed jerk, but he hasn't necessarily done it to be a bad person. At his heart, he wants what's best for his people, but is usually unable to act beyond his own selfishness. He sees Link as a threat to his power, his possible relationship to Saria (which she will never let happen), and the respect of his people. He is one of the few Kokiri who still does not believe the stories about the Hero of Time passed on by Princess Zelda._


	2. Chapter 2

_And we're back for Chapter 2! Hope you like it!_

* * *

Link was up at the crack of dawn. He knew that news traveled fast here, and didn't want to subject himself to the crowds of people that would surely show up within the hour.

He got out of his bed. It was a little small for him, being the size of his twelve-year-old self. This bed, which he had slept in for seven years after he got his own home, was so familiar... yet it didn't feel quite right. He shrugged off the feeling and looked outside. the woods were so peaceful in the early morning... the birds were singing, the mist hung barely over the ground... all of that was usually gone by the time people woke up. Almost no one usually saw it.

He peered over the railing of his balcony. It was maybe a thirty-foot drop. He climbed up it and, not looking back, leaped. He expertly rolled right before hitting the ground, successfully and miraculously escaping injury. He fed Epona (who, for obvious reasons, was unable to come up to the house) and then walked quickly out of town. Not towards the field... but towards the Shrub.

The Great Deku Shrub, the small woody being that would one day grow to become the patriarch of the Kokiri, smiled when Link walked up, "Long time no see, Link!" it called, trotting over. It had yet to place down its roots anywhere, and so was able to move freely. Link stuck out a hand and took one the being's outstretched twig, shaking it as if it was a hand. He smiled, "I'm back today but leaving soon. Do you have any words of wisdom for me?"

The Shrub though for a minute, then said, "Remember to be who you are. People may think you aren't who you do, but remember to always stay true to yourself."

Link sighed. Of course, the shrub was young. It wasn't really ready to make those predictions its predecessor had, "Thanks, Shrubby," he said sincerely, "You haven't steered me wrong yet."

"No problem, Link. Now get going... people are starting to wake up."

Link nodded and walked away from the shrub's clearing, not looking back to see the plant's usually happy features turn into a dark shadow.

By the time he got back, people were already crowding around his house. He took a look. Everyone was there. The shopkeeper, his "mothers" the twins, Saria... even Mido was there, doing the same as everyone else, if not only to annoy Link even further. Smiling, Link jumped onto Epona (who had been tied up at Saria's place instead of his house) and began to ride off when he heard the voice.

"Good morning, KokiriVillage!" it called. It sounded exactly like him... but it couldn't be him. He turned in the saddle to look at his house.

A figure stood on the balcony. It looked like him, but he couldn't be sure. The sun rising behind the house blocked out everything except for the silhouette, which was very Link-esque. He jumped off Epona. Who was this person trying to impersonate him? He grabbed his sword and began to climb the fence between his place and the training course. All the while it continued to speak.

"Yes, yes, I'm back. No need for amazement. I have much to tell you all. But first, would I be the Hero of Time if I didn't get something for each and every one of my fans?"

Link, now atop the fence, looked down at the group of people. Saria was starting to realize that something was wrong. She looked around, and then, noticing a movement, caught sight of Link in the fence. He waved and pointed to the house, then to himself. Link watched her begin to walk towards him, when...

"All right, here you go!" called the voice. As the imposter said that, A number of bombs, buried underneath the dirt around Link's house, began to go off. A laugh was heard, followed by an ocarina song. Link couldn't quite make out what it was, but he instinctively knew that the imposter was nowhere around. Then he looked down.

The Kokiri hadn't seen him. They were screaming and running. Many were injured by the blasts. Some were already back in their homes, probably blocking up the entryways. Some were trying to find someone else, and still others were helping the wounded. But that's not what Link saw.

To him, it looked like the future. The old future. The Kokiri were running and screaming, yes, but not from bombs. No, they were running from an army of moblins and deku babas that were crawling along the ground towards them, beating them and eating them. This is what would have happened. What he'd seen. He'd seen some of them die before, and now, he had to see it again.

"Link!" he heard barely. His ears were ringing. He couldn't focus.

"Link!" the voice called again, a little bit louder. He kept ignoring it. It sounded like Navi...

"LINK!" it called again, and he was knocked backwards. He looked up. He was back in the present, and Saria was standing over him. He stared at her, trying to comprehend.

"Link! You need to go! That... that imposter, he..."

Link, with a little bit of sense back in his mind, peered around her and saw, to his horror, that there were still dying Kokiri. He looked at them, then heard a crack. Turning his head a little bit more, he saw that his tree, weakened by the blasts, was falling straight for the injured and those good Samaritans helping them. "NO!" he called, jumping up.

But it was too late. It had happened. They were gone. He looked at Saria, "We have to go. Now," she nodded, and the two jumped on Epona and rode away. There was only one place he could go right now.

* * *

_So how's it looking thus far? Don't be afraid to leave a review for me... I don't bite!_

_The Imposter: An unknown figure who slightly resembles Link, but with a black heart. No one knows who he is, or has seen any identifying features. In fact, most people still believe him to be Link. Who is this evil being? Only time will tell._


	3. Chapter 3

_I would like the world to know that Link, Zelda, Saria, Epona, Hyrule... just about everything mentioned in here belongs to Nintendo. Not me (sadly). If I DID own it, then the timeline would be much different, believe me. And so, with that, here's the story._

* * *

Link slowed down as he approached the gate to Castle Town. He knew that he couldn't bring Epona inside. Jumping off the horse, then helping Saria off, he patted his steed's side, "You did good today, girl. Take a rest. Go to the ranch... I'll come get you later," he watched her gallop off, then turned back to the gates, "Ladies first."

Castle Town was just as he remembered it. Everything was there... the blind guy, the Happy Mask Shop, even the Bombchu Bowling Alley. He looked over at Saria, and saw a look of absolute amazement on her face. He recognized that look. That was the same look he'd first had on his face seven years ago. He'd forgotten that Saria had never been to the city. He gave a small smile and watched her circle around, trying to make sense of it all. After a minute or so of her walking around in awe, he decided to step in, "Want me to show you around?"

She turned to him and smiled, "Yes please!"

And so the two began to explore. Link recognized some places, and others were new. The blind guy was still there on his mat, and the bowling ally was still open (though the girl who used to work there got married and quit). The mask shop was run by a new guy too, who took over about the time Link left, and the last time he saw the other guy for the last time. Shrugging it off, they walked around some more. He introduced Saria to her first (non-Wolfo) dog, and just had fun for a while. This lasted until Link remembered why they were there in the first place. Reminding Saria, the two turned back towards the castle and walked to the gates.

They reached the first gate, but were stopped by the guards, "What business do you have here?"

"I need to speak to the princess," Link told them.

The guards laughed, "The princess. Right... she hasn't been that for two years." One, the man who was obviously in charge, leaned in to him, "What makes you so special, waltzing right into the castle like that?"

Once again they laughed. Link, infuriated, took off his glove and dramatically threw it on the ground. With their attention gained, he showed his identity... the tattoo of three golden triangles on the back of his left hand. They stopped and stared, then looked back at him.

"You... you're..." one gasped.

"Yes, that's who I am. Can I go through now?"

"No problem, sir!" the one in charge called, "I apologize for our actions earlier... manning the gate is a boring business."

Link shrugged, "Just open it up and I won't tell Zelda that you're making fun of the passersby. Trust me, she'd believe me over you any day."

The guards stiffened, knowing the truth of his statement. "Yes sir!" with a wave of his hand, the gate opened, "You may go."

Link nodded and stepped forward, stopping only to retrieve his glove.

"But you will have to stay back here, Missy."

Link turned around, "She's with me."

The guards looked at each other and sighed, "Fine. Go ahead then."

Motioning to Saria, Link continued forward. He passed each guard, showing them his tattoo as he did to show them that he was allowed in the castle. The reactions were always different. Some were so surprised that they tried to speak, but couldn't. Others simply nodded. The only female knight, standing by the drawbridge, smiled when he showed it to her.

"I haven't seen you in years. Are you back finally?"

Link nodded, "Yes I am, Aveil. And thanks for remembering," the pair shook hands, then she motioned for the bridge to drop. With that, they were inside. It was a quiet day in the castle, and Link was pleasantly surprised. Showing his tattoo to the guards again, he entered the throne room without them. They knew he meant no harm. Making sure Saria was still behind him, they entered the room.

The room was magnificent, and this was the first time he had really been inside of it. One wall was full of tall windows. He remembered them... he'd looked through them a couple of times, from the other side. The other wall was full of magnificent banners, each cascading down the wall in ripples of red and blue and green. The floor was marble, with a long red carpet rolled from the door to the base of the throne.

The throne itself was a stately golden chair, decorated with red velvet on the seat and back. instead of legs, the entire base descended to the beautiful marble pedestal it stood on. There were stairs along the front, pleasing to the eye, and, on the top one, rested the dainty feet of Queen Zelda.

She looked up from her scripts as they came in, but stood up when she recognized the pair, spilling them all over the ground. She quickly walked down the steps. When they were near enough, Link knelt, and Saria gave a small curtsy.

"Your majesty," the former said.

Zelda walked up and hugged him, "There's no need to talk to me like that, Link. You know that. Welcome back," she turned to Saria and smiled, "And Saria, I haven't seen you in... why, it's been a long time."

Saria smiled, "I know it has, Zelda. We really DO need to catch up sometime."

Link cleared his throat, "I would love to sit here and chat, Zelda, but we have some... ah, pressing matters to attend to."

She turned to him, a look of concern on her face, "And what would that be?"

And so he told her. He told her everything.

* * *

_Aveil: The current second-in-command of the Gerudo, she left as an emissary to the Hylian royal family at the time of Zelda's coronation. Trusting the Queen as well as the kingdom, she became the self-appointed leader of the Hylian Knights._

_Queen Zelda: The Queen of Hyrule since her father's death two years ago, she is a pure and benevolent leader who will do anything for her people. She was the first person Link told of the future, and the only one besides Saria who knows everything. The people trust her and love her, and she has fight in her. However, physically, she isn't the strongest, and can easily be overtaken._


End file.
